Bachmann celebrates 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike Ceremony with new Transcontinental Train s

Bachmann's marketing VP Douglas C. Blaine holds up the new Transcontinental Train Set at Toy Fair

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony joining the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad, Bachmann Trains has a limited edition, ready-to-run digital sound-equipped Transcontinental train set.

On display last week at the Toy Fair trade show at New York’s Javits Center, the digitally controlled Transcontinental with Digital Sound set includes detailed models of the historic Central Pacific “Jupiter” (with wood tender and operating headlight) and Union Pacific No. 119 (with coal tender and operating headlight) steam locomotives that faced each other as the last two sections of track were set and joined by silver and golden railroad spikes--ending the famous ceremony that united the two train lines.

Also included in the set is an old-time Central Pacific coach, and old-time Union Pacific combine car (combining passengers and freight), and Bachmann’s E-Z Command Control Center (with wall pack and plug-in wiring) that permits independent control of sound, speed, direction, and lighting of the two decoder-equipped commemorative locomotives.

Contained in the package, too, are a 56 x 38-inch oval of nickel silver E-Z Track (including 12 pieces curved track, four pieces straight track, one terminal rerailer, one manual turnout--left, under-track magnet with brakeman figure, and one Hayes bumper), body-mounted E-Z Mate couplers, and an illustrated instruction manual.

Only 1,000 sets have been made of the limited edition set, each one also including a Collectors’ Card with an individual production number.